One of the many interesting things about Chula Vista is its nickname.
“Their moniker is City of Champions,” said Brian Melekian, President and COO of the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.
So, it’s probably safe to say the Elite Athlete Training Center is …
“The crown jewel toward that end.”
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It’s hard to argue with that. This facility sits on 155 acres and is, truly, home to champions.
In Your Neighborhood: The Best of Chula Vista
“We had 93 Olympians and Paralympians come through the doors of this facility in advance of Tokyo,” Melekian said.
Many of them live in the 300 rooms on-site. But, several more call the surrounding Chula Vista community home. When the facility was built in the mid-1990s it was purely for Team USA. Now, it’s open to all kinds of athletes from around the globe, including many elementary school-age athletes right here in our county.
“On any given day you’ll see a youth camp, you’ll see collegiate athletes, you’ll have resident athletes, you’ll have USA Rugby, Archery, and Track & Field who don’t live here but they eat here and train here every day,” Melekian said. “So, you’ll see the entire gamut of athletes from beginning to end.”
Professional franchises like San Diego Loyal SC and the San Diego Strikeforce both train here, as well. And, as busy as the facility is now, in the next few years it’s going to get even more intense. Preparations for the 2024 Olympics in Paris are already underway. But, when the Games return to Los Angeles in 2028, get ready for a massive influx of world-class athletes.
“This will be the first time in history that a facility of this size is located in such close proximity to the Opening Ceremony -- 155-acre facility 150 miles from SoFi Stadium,” Melekian said.
The entire world is looking to get in on using the training center to give their athletes the best possible chance at gold.
“We’ve already had conversations with Team USA, France, Great Britain, Canada, and Brazil, just to name five. The real question is, who won’t be here?” he said.
And while all that is going on, this facility is also set to host teams preparing for next year’s World Lacrosse Championship in San Diego, the 2026 FIFA World Cup that takes place in the United States and Canada, and the 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups coming to the U.S.
With all this international activity, they’re looking to expand, and not in a small way. The CVEATC has a vision.
“We want 50 gold medals to come out of this facility in 2028 and we need to raise $50 million to achieve that,” Melekian said. “With that $50 million we plan on adding 200 more beds, three more soccer fields (also for rugby and American football), an aquatics complex that does not currently exist, and deferred maintenance.”
Adding the aquatics center, which would replace one of the three existing BMX tracks, would make Chula Vista the home of Team USA swimming and track & field, two of the three crown jewel events of the Summer Games (along with gymnastics).
Plans for that fundraising effort will be revealed in the coming months but it will be a combination of private corporate partners and a unique opportunity for private citizens to get involved.
Speaking of getting involved, a surprisingly small number of people know the spot where champions train is open to the public. Brian welcomes everyone to stop by because the product sells itself.
“I have yet to have a visitor here who did not say one of two things, if not both,” said Melekian. “'This place is amazing. How do I help?' So, we need to get more people down here because I can tell you, I’ve done a lot of cool jobs in my life. I’ve been part of building a stadium, I’ve been a part of launching professional sports leagues. I have never had a job that I love as much as this one. If you want to experience what that feels like all you need to do is come down and spend an hour or two on campus and you’ll walk away with the same feeling.”
They do tours Monday through Friday and by appointment on weekends. It truly does just take one trip to see this is a very special spot. For more information just call (619) 482-6220 or visit their website at www.trainatchulavista.com.
You just might bump into a future Olympic champion.
